Don't Go Away
by anotherweasley
Summary: Is one of the three leaving for good?


Don't Go Away

By:  Olivia

Chapter 1

"Hey, Peg...." said Declan as he looked up from the laptop computer on a table in Peggy's office.  He and Miranda were gathering medical information for their latest investigation.

"Hmmm...." said Peggy absently as she read a letter at her desk.

"What was that website again?" asked Declan.

"What?" Peggy asked turning to Declan and Miranda.  "Oh, I'm sorry, the website.  It's www.diagnosis.com."

"Thanks.  You okay, Peg?  You seem a little distracted...." said Declan.

Declan's question got Miranda's attention and she too turned to look at Peggy giving her a once over looking for anything wrong.

Peggy saw the concern in Declan's eyes and heard it in his voice.  She gave him a quick smile trying to reassure him.  "I'm sorry.  I just didn't get that much sleep last night." 

Peggy laid down the letter she had been reading and stood up.  "And because of that, I need some caffeine.  I'm going to go downstairs to the cafeteria and get some tea.  Either of you want something to drink?"

Both Miranda and Declan shook their heads.

"Okay, then.  I'll be back in a few minutes," said Peggy as she left her office.

Miranda turned back to the computer screen assured that everything was fine.  Declan gave Peggy one last look until he saw her get on the elevator.   He then turned his attention back to the website.  Peggy was tired.  That was all.

"Declan, do you have that disk?" Miranda asked.  "The one that guy gave us."

"Left it on Peggy's desk."  Declan said getting up from his seat and walking over to Peggy's desk.  He picked up the disk when his eyes happen to glance at the letter Peggy had been reading.  Feeling slightly guilty, Declan picked up the letter and read it.  He then reread the letter.  "Oh, no."

Declan's words drew Miranda's attention and she walked over to Declan's side.

"What's wrong?" 

Declan tore his eyes away from the letter to look at Miranda.  "Peggy's leaving."

At that moment, they heard the elevator door ring.  Declan quickly put the letter back on Peggy's desk as he and Miranda raced back to the laptop trying to pretend that they had not just violated their best friends trust and privacy.

"What's wrong?" asked Peggy noting that the two of them looked slightly distraught and a tad out of breath.

"Oh nothing," said Declan as he and Miranda began to gather up their things.  "We just, um, remembered we forgot something back at my office.  Right, Miranda?"

"Yeah, right, Declan," said Miranda a tad flustered.

"Well, okay," said Peggy confused as she walked back to her chair and sat down.  "If you need anything..."

"Thanks, Peg.  We'll see ya later," said Declan.

"Bye, Peggy," said Miranda.

"Bye," said Peggy.

Declan and Miranda left, but a few seconds later Declan popped his head back in her doorway.  "Hey Peg, is it okay if I stop by later tonight?  I've got something I need to talk to you about."

"Sure, Declan," said Peggy with a tired smile.  "I'll be here late.  Got some loose ends to tie up around here."

Declan gave her a semi-pained smile and left.

Chapter 2

Declan and Miranda climbed into Declan's truck.

"I just can't believe Peggy's leaving us," said Declan.

"She's not leaving `us.'"

Declan gave her a look.

 Miranda finished her thoughts.  "At least I'm sure that's not her intention.  It sounds like a really good job offer.  A partnership with another physiatrist.  It's probably better hours and better pay.  It just happens to be on the east coast.  It sounds like a great opportunity for her."

Declan turned to face Miranda.  "You make it sound like a good thing."

"I didn't say I was happy about her leaving."

"No, no you didn't," sighed Declan.  He started up the engine and drove Miranda and himself back to campus.

Chapter 3

"Hi," said Declan as he walked into Peggy's office that night.

"Hi, Declan," said Peggy looking up from her work.

Declan could see the tiredness behind her eyes and that worried him.  Maybe work wasn't the only reason she was leaving.  That thought worried him even more.  He knew he could really get under her skin sometimes and had a bad habit of bringing all his problems to her.  "Hey, why don't we go out for a walk outside?  It's nice out tonight."

"Sure."

A few minutes later they were outside the hospital and started walking around the courtyard.  The moon was shining brightly giving them plenty of light to see by.

"So what did you want to talk to me about, Declan?"

"Well, Peg, you and I, we've known each other for a while now..."

Peggy smiled at the memory of their first meeting.  "Yes, about two years."

"And since then we found out that you and I had been in that class together back in college..."

"Yes," said Peggy.  She had absolutely no idea where this was going, but she sensed that this was important to Declan so she decided not to rush him.

"Yes, so it's sorta like fate or destiny or whatever you want to call it that brought us back together again."

"Okay," said Peggy waiting for more.

Declan could tell that Peggy just wasn't getting it so he tried a different approach.  "How about this, I know that sometimes we don't see eye to eye on things, and sometimes I cross lines that you set, sometimes we argue, but this is a good thing...."

"It is?"

"Yes, I mean no, I mean yes," stammered Declan.  As the two looked up they found that they had walked in a circle around the courtyard and were now standing at the entrance back into the hospital.

Declan turned to face Peggy.  He put his hands on her arms.  "What I'm trying to say, Peg, is that I know I have this tendency to drag you into things and to burden my problems on you.  And I wish I could find the words to express...."

Declan thought for a moment, "Okay, here it goes you remember my old teaching assistant Alice?"

"How could I forget `the angel of death?'"

"The `angel of comfort' but that's beside the point.  The point is she said our investigations are sorta like that show `The X-Files'.  You know that show?"

"I've seen it a few times," admitted Peggy.

"Well the point is Peggy-you're the Scully to my Mulder."

Peggy just looked at Declan.

"Just think about it okay?" asked Declan.

"Okay," said Peggy more confused than ever.

Declan drew a surprised Peggy into a big hug.

"Night, Peg,"

"Good night, Declan," said Peggy as Declan released her.  He gave her a quick smile and headed for his truck.  Peggy just stared after him.

Chapter 4

"Hi, Miranda," said Peggy as she walked into the Physics lab the next day.

"Peggy, hi," said Miranda looking up from her microscope.

Peggy walked over to the table.  "So how's the investigation going?"

"Good, good," said Miranda.  "I'm just looking at some samples we took."

Peggy nodded.  "Miranda, I was wondering if you noticed anything odd in Declan's behavior lately.  Well I guess I should say if you've noticed anything stranger than ususal."

Miranda looked back at the microscope trying to avoid eye contact.  "No…no…nothing odd."

Peggy smiled.  "Well okay then.  I just wanted to be sure.  See you later."

Peggy was about to exit the lab when Miranda called out her name.  Peggy turned back around.

"I just wanted to say thanks."

"Thanks?  For what?" asked Peggy confused.

Miranda was trapped now.  She had to say something.  "You know, just for everything you've done for me  Um…ever since I've know you, you've always, um..cared about my well being and tried to help me even when I sorta kept you out.  But that's who you are, you care about other people and try to help them.  I think that it's a wonderful quality to have.  And I'd be sorry, if you um…  Well I just wanted you to know that I'm glad we're friends."

"That's sweet of you," said Peggy sincerely touched and surprised by Miranda's words.  "I'm glad we're friends too."

Miranda nodded once.  "Well, I'd better get back to looking at those cells."  And with that Miranda bent back over her microscope.

Peggy looked a Miranda for a few seconds and left even more uncertain about what was going on.  She did now know that it involved both Miranda and Declan.

Chapter 5

Peggy sat at her office.  She pushed the report she was working on aside.  What was going on with Declan and Miranda?  They were being nice to her.  She shook her head smiling.  Of course they were nice to her.  They were her friends.  But they were talking to her as if…as if they were never going to see her again.  As if they were trying to get her to stay.

Peggy's thoughts turned immediately to the job offer letter she had received.  She opened her desk drawer and re read the letter.  She thought about the last time she had read the letter.  It was yesterday when…when Declan and Miranda had been in her office and left so abruptly.  They must have read the letter!

Peggy wasn't certain if she was mad at the two of them for invading her privacy or touched at them for trying to convince her to stay.  She only knew she had to see them immediately to clear this up.

She grabbed her jacket and headed to the door when the phone rang.  She reached for it.  "Dr. Fowler."

It was Declan.

"Sure I'd love to go to dinner and a movie with you and Miranda.  I'll meet you at your office in a little bit, okay?"

"Okay, bye."

Peggy hung up the phone.  The drive over would give her time to collect her thoughts.

Chapter 6

"Hi guys," said Peggy as she walked into Declan's office a little while later.  Declan and Miranda stopped talking and stood up quickly as soon as Peggy came in.  They had been having a serious discussion which Peggy could only assume involved herself.

"Hey, Peg.  You ready to go?" asked Declan as he and Miranda got on their jackets.

"I know you two read the letter," Peggy said.

Declan threw a quick surprised look to Miranda and then equally as quickly recovered his surprise.  He thought of claiming ignorance for a second but then decided that honesty was the best policy.  Even if Peggy were upset, she would at least appreciate the truth.

"I'm sorry, Peg," said Declan.  "It was my fault.  And it was an accident.  I was getting that disk, you remember that disk, off your desk, and I happened to see the letter on your desk.  I shouldn't have picked it up and read it, but…"

"It's okay," said Peggy with a smile.  "Not that I want you rummaging through my desk and files, but your intentions were good."

"Really," said Declan surprised.  He had been expecting Peggy to be angry with him.

"Really," said Peggy.

"So are you really leaving us?" said Miranda, unable to contain her thoughts any longer.

"I'm not leaving.  The man who sent me the offer, he's an old friend of mine.  He knew I'd been stressed out recently with work and all and he was starting his own practice and looking for a partner…Well you know the rest.  But everyone feels like quitting sometimes and starting something new.  But I realized that I didn't want to leave.  That I'd miss my patients, and the work at the hospital, our investigations, the two of you…"

Declan and Miranda both smiled briefly slightly embarrassed at Peggy's praise.

"Well someone promised me dinner and a movie," said Peggy trying to break the awkward moment.

"Well our chariot awaits," said Declan as he let out his arms for both Miranda and Peggy to link their arms to his.  

They walked out of the building towards Declan's truck.  Declan opened up the passenger door and Miranda hopped in.  Peggy was about to get in beside Miranda when Declan asked, "So Peg, when did you decide not to accept that job offer?  Was it after the things we said to you?"

"You two were so sweet but it was when the two of you were sitting in my office yesterday pouring over those computer files," said Peggy with a smile that warmed them all.  The three of them being together was really the only thing that mattered.  Their friendship needed no words to express how they felt about one another, because they already knew.

The End

"Friends are the marshmallows in the hot chocolate of life."-Anon

"Turns out not where you are but who you're with that really matters."-Dave Matthews Band


End file.
